


You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful

by orphan_account



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 00:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12876453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Karen finds Matt's photo from freshman year of high school. Matt freaks out. Everyone learns that even the toughest of people have weak spots.





	You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for this prompt on the kink meme: " Matt's childhood was miserable, but we can always make it more so, yeah? Just anything with the premise of wee Matt having spent a few years in orthodontic headgear and having to deal with the associated annoyances and ridicule. Maybe Foggy and/or Karen or somebody finds a picture of him from back then and he's super embarrassed but they think it's cute? "

It started like a normal day. His alarm went off, he showered, made breakfast, took out his retainers, ate, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and left. He had forgotten that he left his closet unlocked when Karen was over helping him install a new shelf on Saturday.  
He wished he had locked it.  
As he walked into the building, he heard something odd. Karen and Foggy's heartbeats were really fast and they were laughing. Then he heard. He sped up and just barely got in the office when it happened.  
"Oh my god." Karen said. Matt could tell she had a large book in her hands. "Even Matt had an awkward phase."  
She didn't. Oh shit. She found his high school yearbook, from the way they laughed, it must have been freshman year. Why did he keep it? It's not like he wanted one. There's a reason he won most improved. Also prom king, but that was more of his classmates being assholes, jokes on them. He spent his prom night going to the movies. They only do audio guided movies once a month and Star Wars sounded cool.  
"Wow. I’m surprised, but Rome was not built overnight. " Foggy jibed .  
He knows Foggy is just kidding around. But it still hits like a freight train…  
"Wow. I thought it couldn't be done. But you've become ever more of a freak. Why don't you just kill yourself. It's not like any of us would miss you."  
Those were the first words Brigid Collins ever said to him.  
The next flashback was normal, well at least it seems more normal. 

" Now Matt, because of how severe your overbite is, I'm sorry, we can’t get around it. . Don't worry, lots of kids have to wear headgear, nobody’s going to pick on you." Dr. Green was wrong. It was hell. “Think of how handsome you’re going to be after all this.”

Don't get it wrong. Matt's grateful. What with getting three teeth knocked out early and the lack of money, so that he did to have the suggested exam by age seven, or the fact that even eating and breathing was a challenge, Matt was so overjoyed to have everything fixed that even a decade later at 28, he still wears his retainers at night. It's a huge blessing that Medicaid (ie the only good thing about being in the foster care system ) and Dr. Green's PR plan took care of it. She rightly assumed that giving her time as in kind donation to give a poor blind orphan a beautiful smile would look good and bring in new clients.

Five years in treatment,, and being treated like he needed a aid to brush his teeth for him (he's got this covered),it was over. Two months into senior year, he had them off. He hit the gym, got a newer haircut, and practicing sounding like he never had messed up teeth. He even showed up at the ten year reunion this past summer and no one even figured out it was him until he put his name tag on and pulled out his cane. He had became normal and had moved on. Sure his whole social life is based on a lie of omission, but it’s not like he hurt anyone by it. 

Matt really just wanted the past to stay in the past. It's that too much to ask for? He put it all behind him, became the man that all the girls and guys wanted. No need to bring it to light.  
"Matt. Matt, are you still with us?" Karen asked, her heart racing.  
" You know it's rude to go through people's things." Matt said. His heart was racing and he was trying not to cry. He is normal damn it. He made himself attractive and charming and all that shit. Damn it. This is why Stick left. Because he's a total pussy. Women cry, not him. "Come on Matt, it's funny!" Foggy said, his tone betraying him. “Honestly, it's funny right? "  
“ Or maybe we could talk about how I can’t find anything on Karen’s past, or how your bio mom will never love you. “ Matt retorted. 

 

The rest of the day went about as normal. Matt left earlier than usual, meaning at a normal time for once.  
"Now that Matt's gone, what's his deal?" Foggy asked.

" I get it. I gotta go." Karen all but shouted as she grabbed her coat and ran out of the office. She had a few things to grab and a blind lawyer to see. She really hoped this would help.

Karen stopped at the store for a salad mix, a roast chicken and some wine. Dinner sounded like a good peace offering, plus she had her doubts that Matt is eating enough with the whole Daredevil thing. Luckily it was Claire’s day off and she did not mind helping her out of this sticky situation. She honestly needed Matt to stay in her life. That’s how she met Claire. So she grabbed her girlfriend and her secret weapon and headed over to Matt’s place.  
She really was not sure if what she and Claire heard was coming from Matt’s apartment or from the neighbor. Someone was crying. As soon as they were outside his door, they knew.

“ Oh God. You and Foggy fucked up big time.” Claire in all her wisdom blurted out.  
It was clear that Matt had a lot of baggage around his childhood. Kids could be incredibly mean.. But Matt’s super charming and poised. She just assumed that he was over it. Boy she was wrong.

“Matt, It’s Karen and Claire, we brought dinner? Can you let us in? “ Claire said as she knocked on his door. A sigh was heard from inside.  
"Fine." Matt mumbled as he opened the door. " You went to Trader Joe's? Please tell me you did not get Two Buck Chuck."  
"No. I got nice wine, Mr. Fancy Pants. I know you well enough to make sure not to try that again. Also, it’s kinda creepy when you do that whole smelling where I've been thing." Karen snarked out. She hoped she could save their friendship. She of all people should understand what it's like to hate your body.  
They sat down and ate dinner. Claire was somehow able to keep a conversation going and even made Matt laugh. After she and Claire took care of the dishes, they sat down in the living room.  
"Let me guess, you want to make nice?" Matt said.  
"Yeah. I was wrong. I thought it was just friendly teasing. I want you to feel something. Hold your hand out." Karen said. She pulled a cut plastic wristband out of her pocket and dropped it in his hand.  
" What am I holding?" Matt blurts out as he runs his fingers over it. Its plastic and had a snap that was done but it was cut off instead of undone.  
"It's a hospital bracelet. When I was 17, I was in rehab for an eating disorder. My childhood was not great. My dad drank a lot and when he was drunk, well… my mom and I look alike, I guess. I thought I was totally worthless and wanted to vanish. So I just stopped eating. It was easy to be overlooked at home if I was skinny and out of the way. Hell, I only got help because the drama teacher at my school saw how thin I was getting. I should have never looked at the yearbook. It's not my place to butt into your past. But Matt, even if you still looked like that, you would still be you. You're a good man. And you are more than just your looks. I'm sorry." Karen says. She hopes it's enough.  
"She's right." Claire breaths out. It broke her heart the first time Karen told her about her struggles, and she can understand how Karen and Foggy would think Matt would laugh it off. Matt never shows weakness. " If you want, I brought a couple of the guided journals we use at work.. The box of braille ones may have never been opened before today, but you can have it if you want."  
Matt sighed, "I just feel so stupid. You know, I'm not the only person who was bullied or called a freak. I think it was made worse by the fact that it hurt so much. My senses are always in overdrive, and I was always in pain. Just way too much metal and it was always scraping up my lips. Way too many brackets and springs and wires and all I could taste was metal. In the end, I prayed for it to stop. For some sense of normal. Even though it's been a decade that I've been done with treatment, I still wear my retainers. I'm afraid that I'll end up like that again, and it's so stupid. I am a man. I need to be strong and not give a shit about anything. But I'm vulnerable and insecure and all the things men are not.”  
Karen's heart was breaking. "It's ok." Matt started to cry. "You're ok. It's ok to be human and flawed and all those things."

After everyone had calmed down, they put on some music and ended up killing the bottle Karen brought and another from Matt's bottles. When the buzz wore off, Karen and Claire made their way back home. Matt looked at the journal Claire left, then got himself ready for bed.He hoped that tomorrow would be better.

He wondered what Foggy was doing. 

Candice is the nicest person Foggy knows. He knows that with her struggles in middle school can she relate, she also happens to council teenagers for a living so.... if anyone knows what he should do to make nice with Matt, it's her. So he’ll just swing by to Kahve get her favorite Chai Latte as a bribe. and pray that it's still warm when he makes it to her apartment.Why she chose to live in NJ is a mystery. (it’s not. it's cheaper and is only a half hour train ride into NYC.) On the ride over it hits him that she might not even be home. also he in all his lapsed lutheran glory shoots up a little prayer that the kids were a bit nicer to Matt then they were to her. All the days of helping her wash food out of her brand new skirts and blouses and holding her as she cried come sweeping back. He really knows he fucked up. Like big time.  
Forty five minutes later, he’s knocking on her door. “Shit. Please be home Candice” Foggy mutters.  
“Um.. She’s in the shower. Who are you” asks Jen, her roommate high as a kite and half dressed.  
“Her brother. Franklin.” Foggy replies. It’s not like she would call him Foggy. That’s more of a Matt and Karen thing. Hell his mom sure won’t.  
“Jen, stop being a tool and let him in. I’ll be out and dressed in a moment.” A husky almost Joplin-esque voice wafts from the bathroom . Candace has always been loud enough to get away with things like that. He walks in her apartment that somehow is cleaner and nicer than his. It’s got to be due to her having a roommate and being a total control freak.The sofa is now on the other side of the the room. Candace said something about needing a change. Hell, she rearranged her bedroom at least once a month as a kid. After a few minutes of she enters the living room. “ So, my fair brother, what is the nature of this surprise visit?” Candace chides. “Oh, wait. Is that chai for me? “  
“Yes. It’s a peace offering. I might have fucked things up with Matt?”  
“How?”  
“ Karen found his yearbook from freshman year of high school. Turns out he was kinda a reedy nerd with headgear as a teen.”  
“And he was picked on. Because children can mean as all get up.”  
“Yeah. I might have teased him a bit.”  
“ Franklin Percy Nelson. You didn't.”  
“Yeah, I thought it was all good natured. Also you can call me Foggy. Every one else does.”  
“ Is that for the same reason that I’m called Candace? Do our parents have no cis kids? Also. you should know better. Matt’s like a baby duck. “  
“No, and I know I should have. What do I do?”  
“ Tell him you’re sorry, and maybe about what I went though? Let him see that you can be a good person?”  
“That could work. So what else are you doing tonight?”  
“ Well, I guess I’m ordering pizza, you want some?”  
“Sure.”  
After a half hour or so, they had their pizza. Foggy hoped that he could work things out with Matt.

The next day Foggy got to work early with a pour over from that expensive hipster place Matt likes.  
Matt tried to slink in until he heard the sounds of Foggy puttering in the office.  
“Matt, can you join me in my office?”  
Shit, Well here goes nothing. “Yes, you rang for me?”  
“Look… I’m sorry. I should never started, I should understand.”  
“ How?”  
“ My sister had a hard time in school .”  
“Is it because she’s trans?”  
“How did you know? Can you smell that?”  
“No, She emailed me last night.” 

Oh.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading .  
> You can find me at tumblr.com/foggysunshinekingnelson 
> 
> Wanna buy me a coffee?  
> www.kofi.com/foggysunshinekingnelson


End file.
